Carrier



July 28, 1970 L. cs. WALLENIUS CARRIER 4 Sheets---5h=eet 1 Filed May 17, 1968 INVENTORI Lars Gus+av WQHenius flrfornys y 28, 1970 G. WALLENIUS 3,521,924

CARRIER Filed May 17, 1968 4 Shee ts Sheet 2 Fig.2

INVENTOR: Lars Ggs'l'av Wallenius BY WW July 28, 1970 L. G. WALLENIUS CARRIER Filed'May 17, 1968 Fig.

4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR= Lars Gusi'uv Willenius HHorneys July 28, 1970 WALLEN'US 3,521,924

CARRIER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 17, 1968 INVENTDR L qrs GusJ-av Wdl lenius 4 lqfforneys 7 United States Patent 3,521,924 CARRIER Lars Gustav Wallenius, Ostra Agatan 11,

' Uppsala, Sweden Filed May 17, 1968, Ser. No. 730,095 Claims priority, application Sweden, May 18, 1967,

Int. Cl. B66c 1/00 US. Cl. 29467 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Carrier to be suspended from a crane for receiving and lifting bulk material. The carrier includes a cradle which is unsymmetrically suspended relative to its center of gravity when loaded and a counterweight means which extends from the cradle in such a direction relative to its suspension that either when the cradle is unloaded or under maximum load it assumes predetermined angular positions relative to the vertical direction.

Present invention relates to a carrier and especially to a carrier which is intended to be used as a complement to an available crane in order to increase the usage thereof primarily at building sites.

If the construction of a block of flats or offices with several floors is performed in such a way that initially the structural walls and floors are cast, or assembled from prefabricated elements, there is a problem regarding the supply of material for e.g. the partition walls and the like. When using this type of construction, in most cases the outer walls or facades of the building are erected nearer to the end of the construction at which time all partition walls as well as other items involved in the construction of the building are in place.

Due to the fact that the facades are open there is direct access to each room unit of the structure so that it is not necessary to transport the necessary material over the unfinished floors from the intake to the different room units. By using the open facades for the insertion of the material to the place where it is intended to be used, without special expensive means, a refined solution of the problem of transport between the room units has been found. A load suspended from the crane cannot be swung into a preselected intermediate fioor as the upper floors or overhangs obstruct the wire cable. It is not possible to arrange builders hoists too close together as this will be more expensive than to transport the material over the floors manually or by a barrow. Sometimes it is necessary to make openings through the walls between different units in order to make this transporting of material between the different room units possible.

Heretofore special discharging bridges have been built in order to make use of the crane to some extent, especially for heavier and bulky transports up to a desired floor which bridges have been so located that they have not interfered with each other but the load suspended from the crane could be lowered onto desired bridge. However, these bridges are work and cost consuming and very often obstruct other work to be carried out. In a few cases outwardly extending balconies have been usable for the same purpose but balconies situated above very often obstruct this manner of discharging.

The purpose of this invention is to overcome the problems aforementioned so that the necessary structural material can be inserted into each room unit directly with the aid of an available crane so as to avoid additional builders hoists as well as openings between the room units and transportings by barrow or manually.

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The object of this invention is to provide a carrier suspended from a crane comprising a cradle for receiving bulk goods or material to be lifted which cradle is unsymmetrically suspended in relation to its centre of gravity when unloaded and which is provided with a counterweight device extending from the cradle or carrier in such a direction in relation to its suspension that the cradle in unloaded and in maximum loaded condition resp.

assumes predetermined angular positions in relation to the vertical direction.

The invention will be more detailed described below in connection with the accompanied drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the carrier according to present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the carrier according to the invention in use;

FIG. 3 shows the mounting of the counterweight;

FIG. 4 shows diagrammatically the method of use;

FIG. 5 is a partial view of a supporting means for the load in the carrier;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a lock for the door of the carrier, in detail; and

FIGS. 7a, b, c are examples of loads for the carrier according to the invention.

As is clear from FIG. 1 the carrier according to the invention comprises a cradle 1 for the load and a counterweight device 2 which constitute the principal parts of the carrier. The cradle 1 comprises two corresponding side members 3, an end member 4 connecting the side members 3 at one end thereof, and at the other end of the cradle 1 a door 5 pivotally mounted at the upper end thereof. The end member 4 is provided with lifting eyes 6 for fastening to a lifting hook. An element 7 of triangular shape extends from that end of the cradle which is provided with lifting eyes and is fixed to or pivotally mounted to the cradle 1 at the lower part of the end member 4. A counterweight 8 is attached to the free end of the element 7. At that end of the cradle 1 provided with the door 5 small extensions 9 extend at such an angle that when the cradle is placed on level ground the wheels 20 carried by said extensions 9 rest against the ground on the same level as the bottom of the cradle 1 or eyes 10 extending downwardly from the cradle through which eyes load carrying cross bars 19 can be inserted.

In this embodiment of the invention which merely is intended to make the invention clear, the side members 3 are identical and constructed by beams or tubes with an upper longitudinal beam 11 and a lower longitudinal beam 12, the ends of which are connected to uprights 13 and 14 respectively. The rectangle shaped in this way has a diagonal strut 15 extending from the upper part of upright 13. The two rectangular side members 3 are at one end rigidly connected to two cross bars, an upper cross bar 16 and a lower cross bar 17, together with the uprights 13 constituting the end member 4. The lower longitudinal bar 12 extends a small distance outwardly of the end members 4 and 5 respectively in order to accommodate a bearing 18 at the end 4 for the mounting element 7 of the counterweight 8 and at the other end 5 constitute the mounting for the wheels 20.

The cradle 1 constructed in this way is of U-shape as seen from above, the open end of which can be closed by the door 5.

How the carrier works is clear from FIG. 4 in which drawing A shows the carrier when it is being lowered, having the counterweight 8 lifted in order to avoid it reaching the ground before the cradle 1 and thereby put the carrier aside. In drawing B the cradle 1 is shown loaded, the loading being performed in such a way that the cradle 1 has been lowered over the load in question, e.g. a stack of partition wall planks on a foot as shown in FIG. 7a or on a barrow as shown in FIG. 7b. Load carrying cross beams 19 have then been inserted through the eyes under the foot from one side of the cradle 1 to the other and the hitching up of the counterweight has been released. The counterweight device 2 is so calculated that with maximum load the arm thereof will project substantially horizontally while the Wheels on the supporting members or extensions 9 will be offset sufficiently far from an imaginary line extending in the vertical direction of the wire cable so that the wheels 20 can be lowered onto a floor without interference from the over-hang or the like against the wire cable (see FIG. 2). Drawings C and D in FIG. 4 show clearly how the carrier hangs during lifting, swinging into a room unit, and lowering. The drawings show the position of the cradle 1 under maximum load. When the load is not so heavy the cradle 1 will hang at a different angle to the vertical direction which facilitates the swinging and lowering of the cradle 1 onto an intermediate floor.

During the lowering the cradle 1 might be manually controlled so that it will occupy a correct travelling direction over the floor when the lowering is to be completed. The load in the cradle is now so positioned that the cradle, during the continued lowering by itself, will run on the wheels 20 in desired direction and stops in that position shown in drawing E in FIG. 4. In this position the load carrying cross beams 19 and the lock for the door 5 in the lower part thereof are removed so that the load when the cradle 1 is lifted again will remain on the floor. Either before this lifting, or at a later stage on the ground, the counterweight is hitched up in order not to interfere with the cradle 1 when it is to be placed over another load.

As is clear to those skilled in the art this carrier is a valuable contribution to increase the range of applications of the crane.

The counterweight device 2 may comprise an arm rigidly connected to the cradle 1 having a length and counterweight determined for the maximum weight of cradle 1 and load. Especially in connection with small cradles this structure might be preferable as the handling of the cradle then is not so troublesome as with bigger cradles which cannot be manually handled. When the counterweight is rigidly connected to the cradle 1 it should preferably be so balanced in relation to the unsymmetrical suspension that the empty cradle 1 will assume a substantially horizontal position. The rigid connection involves, however, the disadvantage that the counterweight 8 when the cradle 1 is loaded will be brought nearer to the vertical direction of the assembly whereby the lever is shortened.

There is no disadvantage of having a displaceable counterweight for suitable counter-balancing of the load, but such a device might only complicate the carrier. It is very important that a device which primarily is intended to be used in building sites is simple and durable in order to allow rugged use without being damaged.

In the embodiment of the invention shown and described the counterweight 8 is suspended from a pivoted arm 7 whereby the counterweight 8 is pivotable to a position as far away as possible from the vertical direction and the distance between the counterweight 8 and vertical direction is as great as possible, i.e. the lever is as long as possible under given conditions. A cable or a chain 21 between the counterweight 8 and the cross beam 16 maintains the pivoted predetermined position of the counterweight which should be such that when the cradle 1 has maximum load the counterweight arm 7 is substantially horizontal.

With the aid of a hook in the cable or chain 21 this can be shortened as at 22 whereby the counterweight is raised to a position in or above the horizontal plane during the lowering of the carrier. This is to avoid the counterweight reaching the ground before the carrier to thereby make it difiicult to handle the carrier when the cradle 1 is to be brought over a load.

If the load does not take up the whole width of the cradle 1, which is the case with e.g. planks for the partition walls, special means must be used in order to protect the load from being laterally displaced. Such a means comprises two corresponding angle bars 25 constituting an L (see FIG. 5). From the outer upper end of the longer vertical arm a pin 26 extends and from the bottom of the horizontal arm one or more pins 27 extend. The angle bars are intended to be located with the vertical arms directed inwardly against the load. A transverse beam 24 extends between the upper longitudinal beams 11 and is rigidly or detachably connected to these. Apertures in this beam 24 receive the pins 26. The downwardly extending pins 27 are received in corresponding apertures in the lower longitudinal beams 12. The angle bars 25 are movable by lifting them such a distance that the lower pins 27 are raised out of their apertures. This is made possible by having the vertical arm the length of the pin 27 shorter than the vertical distance between the lower beam 12 and the transverse earn 24.

Eyes 10 are provided on the undersides of the lower longitudinal beams 12. In the described embodiment of the invention these eyes 10 are arranged two on each beam 12 in such a way that a load carrying beam 19 is insertable therethrough from one side of the cradle 1 to the other. The load carrying beam 19 may be constituted by any suitable means, e.g. a short plank, but should preferably be a specially constructed beam which safely withstands the load in the cradle 1. There is no risk that these load carrying beams 19 would be displaced even without any locking means as they are pressed against the walls of the eyes by the whole weight of the load. However, in order to have the load carrying beams 19 inserted in correct position the beams 19 for this purpose are specially constructed having recesses on the underside corresponding to the walls of the eyes 10 so that these will enter the recesses when lifting the carrier. In this way also the rigidity of the cradle 1 is raised as the side members are locked against laterally displacement towards or away from each other.

The upper longitudinal beams 11 project slightly from the door 5 so that handles are formed in order to facilitate manually handling the carrier when lowering it against a floor and when lifting it therefrom.

The door 5 is pivotally connected to the upper longitudinal beams 11 in such away that these beams are kept in a determined distance from each other. When the cradle is lifted a great portion of the weight of the load presses against this door 5. Hence, it is important that the lock for the door in the lower part thereof be simple and reliable. A suitable locking device therefor is shown in FIG. 6 of which one is provided at each side of the door 5. This locking device 28 comprises a short piece of a U-shaped beam 29 the base of which is fixed to the wheel end of the longitudinal beam 12. A pin 30 extends through two aligned holes in the leg walls of the beam piece 29 and is movable in its free position. The outer end of this pin 30 is provided with an element 33 shaped as a hook swingable over one wall of the beam piece 29 in such a way that it is hooked around its short end. When in the locked position the protruding end of the pin 30 is in front of the door 5 whereby this is prevented from being swung outwards. In order to make the cradle 1 more rigid the outer end of the pin is provided with a crosspiece 31 which is turned behind one edge beam of the door 5 when locked, this being clear from FIG. 6.

The eyes for the suspension of the carrier to the hook of the crane are attached to the upper ends of the uprights 13. Between the eyes 6 there is a cable or chain 32 provided at the centre of which there is a loop for fastening the hook (see FIG. 3).

If there is only a very small over-hang or no overhang at all the eyes 6 can be attached directly to the uprights 13. However, if the over-hang or the like should be projecting so far that there is a risk that the wire cable strikes thereagainst during lowering, these eyes can be attached in such a manner that they project a suitable distance in the calculated direction of the wire cable when the cradle is maximum loaded (see FIG. 3). Then when the carrier is lowered onto the floor and downward movement continues about the wheels 20 this elongated eye 6 swings the *wire cable outwardly to the same degree as the cradle on the wheels moves inwardly, due to which the wire cable will be located sufiiciently from the overhang or the like.

In order to allow lifting of piece goods 21 box as shown in FIG. 7c can be inserted into the cradle 1. It is provided with walls and floor whereby it is impossible for small things to escape from the cradle 1. For each special purpose different devices can of course be made which facilitate handling but it must be taken into consideration that each such device reduces the lifting capability of the cradle 1 to the same extent. For common use at building sites the basic carrier as described herein must be regarded as completely satisfactory. It is very important from the safety point of view that there is hardly no risk that things could fall out with the present invention, in contrast with the conventional practice in 'which planks and other material is tied up with a rope or the like to form a package and is lowered openly by the aid of the rope. Then it often happens that small pieces drop out of the package.

What I claim is:

1. A carrier to be suspended from a crane for receiving and lifting bulk materials, comprising, in combination:

(a) a cradle provided with two longitudinally extending sides and two relatively short sides, one of the short sides at each end of said longitudinally extending sides;

(b) means for suspending said cradle, when the same is unloaded, unsymmetrically, relative to its center of gravity, said cradle suspending means being located at one of said short sides;

(c) counterweight means extending from the cradle for causing the suspended cradle to assume predetermined angular positions relative to the vertical direction both when said cradle is unloaded and under maximum load, said counterweight means extending from said suspending means short side;

((1) the other of said short sides being a door which is pivotably mounted so it can be opened.

2. Carrier as defined in claim 1 wherein said door includes an edge beam; said longitudinally extending sides including upper and lower longitudinal beams relative to the ground; and further comprising a locking device for said door disposed on a lower longitudinal beam near the door, said locking device including a U-beam body member, the open U-shaped ends of which face in the longitudinal direction of said lower beam on which the locking device is disposed and one leg of which is nearer the edge beam of said door than the other, two aligned apertures, one provided in each of said legs, a pin inserted through said apertures, said pin being movable both longitudinally and about its own axis, a hookshaped element attached to the end of said pin at the leg away from said door, and a cross-piece attached to the end of said pin at the leg near the edge beam of said door, said hook-shaped element being arranged with respect to said leg away from said door edge beam to hook thereabout when said pin is moved about its axis and the cross piece is arranged with respect to said door edge beam to turn to a position immediately therebehind upon occurrence of the same event.

3. Carrier to be suspended from a crane for receiving and lifting bulk materials comprising, in combination:

(a) a cradle including a plurality of upper and lower longitudinally extending beams, relative to the ground;

(b) means for suspending said cradle, when the same is unloaded, unsymmetrically relative to its center of gravity;

(c) counterweight means extending from the cradle for causing the suspended cradle to assume predetermined angular positions relative to the vertical direction both when said cradle is unloaded and under maximum load, said counterweight means being arranged at one end of said lower beams;

(d) said cradle further including wheels arranged at the opposite end of said lower beams.

4. Carrier to be suspended from a crane for receiving and lifting bulk materials comprising, in combination:

(a) a cradle provided with upper and lower longitudinal beams relative to the ground;

(b) means for suspending said cradle, when the same is unloaded, unsymmetrically relative to its center of gravity;

(0) counterweight means extending from the cradle for causing the suspended cradle to assume predetermined angular positions relative to the vertical direction both when said cradle is unloaded and under maximum load; and

(d) means for retaining such materials in position within said cradle, said retaining means having at least one set of two opposed angle-bars, each of said angle-bars having a vertical and a horizontal arm, a pin provided at the end of said vertical arm projecting away therefrom and at least one pin provided on said horizontal arm projecting transversely away therefrom, apertures provided in said lower longitudinal beams for receiving the pin projecting from the horizontal arm of each of said angle-bars, a transverse beam extending between said upper longitudinal beams and having apertures for receiving the pin projecting from the vertical arm of each of said angle bars, each vertical arm being shorter than the distance between the transverse beam and said lower beams as a consequence of which said angle-bars are detachable and movable to different positions.

5. Carrier to be suspended from a crane for receiving and lifting bulk materials comprising, in combination:

(a) a cradle in the form of a generally block-shaped frame;

(b) means for suspending said cradle, when the same 7 is unloaded, unsymmetrically relative to its center of gravity, said suspending means being provided on the upper edge of one end of said frame;

(c) counterweight means extending from the cradle for causing the suspended cradle to assume predetermined angular positions relative to the vertical direction both when said cradle is unloaded and under maximum load, said counterweight means being connected to the lower edge of the same end and arranged with respect to said suspending means and cradle to cause said cradle to assume a generally horizontal position when suspended while being unloaded; and

((1) wheels means disposed at the diagonally opposite end of said frame from said suspending means and arranged to touch the surface to which the carrier is lowered for movement of the cradle thereon.

6. Carrier as defined in claim 5 wherein said counterweight means includes an arm pivotably projecting from said lower edge and a weight disposed on the end of said arm, said arm being limited in its pivotable movements away from said frame to a position which is substantially horizontal when said cradle is suspended under maximum load; and further comprising supporting members for said wheels extending from the lower edge of the end of said frame opposite to the end at which the counterweight means is disposed, said supporting members being arranged with respect to said cradle in such a manner that when said cradle is suspended under max- 7 8 imurn load the supporting members will extend in a gen- References Cited erally horizontal direction and parallel to the counter- UNITED STATES PATENTS weight arm, and said wheels are arranged on said supporting members to extend vertically downwardly thereigg from when said cradle is under maximum load so that 5 3341243 9/1967 Archer 294 67 said wheels will be the first of said carrier to touch the surface to which the carrier is lowered. ANDRES H NIELSEN, Primary E amin 

